Tag Archives: digital-photo-frame

Believe it or not, sometimes a folded piece of cardboard just can’t convey how you feel about someone. So just in time for Mother’s Day American Greetings is introducing a digital slideshow card which features a 1.8-inch LCD display that plays back a series of photos set to music. Preloaded versions that run through a collection of animated slides are available, but I suspect most people will prefer the customizable version which includes a short USB cable allowing you to upload up to 50 photos.

When the card is opened the slideshow and music automatically start playing, and the cards are rechargeable so they can be enjoyed again and again. Personally I think it would be cool if you could load up your own MP3 as well, allowing you to have a customized soundtrack or message, but I’m sure the pandora’s box that is copyright issues will ensure that will never happen.

The popularity of digital photo frames as a no-thought-involved gift has tapered off over the past couple of years, but I would have loved to gift this Frankenstein of low-techery to someone who would appreciate its absurdity. From a company called TAO this $150 lamp features a tiny 3.5-inch LCD display on the base, forcing anyone who actually cares about the photos being displayed to crowd in as close as possible. And I’m assuming that LCD isn’t of the highest quality, so actually turning on the lamp probably washes out the image.

It’s got 128MB of memory which is enough to store around 1,500 photos if you shrink them down to the display’s 720×486 resolution ahead of time, and the LCD features touch screen capabilities ensuring it will be covered in smudgy fingerprints in no time.

Digital photo frames have never been at the top of my gift recommendation list. Too much of a unitasker for my liking. But you slap a printer on there like Epson has done with their PictureMate Show, and you’ve got yourself a decent gift idea for those who like to share their memories. As digital photo frames go it does gobble up a bit more desk/fireplace mantle/dresser space, but sending a copy of a photo home with a loved one is as easy as them hitting the print button.

You are limited to 4×6 prints though which take about 37 seconds to spit out, but if there’s a specific part of a photo you want to concentrate on you do have the ability to maximize those 24 square inches thanks to cropping functions accessible via the included wireless remote. Yes, a touchscreen interface on the 7-inch LCD would have probably been far more intuitive, but at least you don’t have to worry about constantly buffing out fingerprints.

Photos can be loaded onto the PictureMate Show using its built-in SD card slot, or you can attach a flash drive or digital camera directly to its USB port. And an optional Bluetooth adapter presumably lets you send them straight from a camera-equipped phone. At $299.99 it’s more expensive than buying a printer and digital photo frame separately and then taping them together, so I guess you’re paying a premium for a slightly sleeker form factor.

I’m normally not a big fan of the whole digital photo frame trend, but since I’ve been using my iPhone 4 more and more as my day-to-day digital camera, I like this prototype that Panasonic has on display at their booth at CEATEC. Instead of having to transfer photos to an SD card to load them up on the frame you simply dock your iPhone or iPod touch which is probably already chock full of galleries. Other details are pretty sparse, and since it’s a prototype who knows if it will ever see the light of day. If it does though here’s to hoping they find a way to better integrate that dock, since this side-by-side setup looks a little awkward.

In one fell swoop JOBO has drastically simplified the process of getting printed photos into the digital realm with their aptly named ScanViewer digital photo frame. The 8-inch TFT LCD has a resolution of 800×600 pixels, while the built-in scanner located just below it can scan as high as 1200×1800 pixels. The automatic feeder will accept photos either 1.6″x2″ in size or the more common 4″x6″ format, and the digital versions can be stored on the frame’s 1GB of memory or copied to a memory card including compact flash, SD, MemoryStick and XD. And there’s even a USB connection for easily transferring the scans back to your PC. Expect the ScanViewer to be available sometime in December for about $380.

Congratulations to Sharp for combining two devices that most tech-savvy consumers have no use for. Their JD-7C1CL/CW cordless landline phone includes a generous 7-inch LCD touch screen (800×480 resolution) that can be used for general phone functions like checking voicemail, accessing your phone book etc. and when not in use it doubles as a digital photo frame. The 128MB of storage on board isn’t exactly generous, and while you can wirelessly send photos from a cellphone to the frame, it only supports IR so be prepared to wait a while if your phone ‘s camera is of the many megapixel variety.

Let’s be honest, I’d give a six-year-old kid better odds at figuring out how to use a regular digital photo frame than a forty-year-old adult, so the only reason I can see them needing a ‘kid-friendly’ digital frame is durability reasons. The KidiLook from VTech is designed for children aged 3 to 6 and can store up to 100 digital photos synced from your PC via USB. And while it includes a series of buttons for scrolling through the photos, kids can also just shake the device to advance the slideshow thanks to its built-in motion sensor. $24.99 from the VTech website.

I like digital photo frames and each time someone comes to my house that doesn’t own a digital frame, they leave wanting one. With digital frames, I can display images of the kids and other events without having to print off gobs of pictures and find a place to put the pictures on my wall.

Kodak has announced a new digital photo frame called the Easyshare S730, but has left out some important details about the device. The import bits missing are exactly how large the screen of the frame is and what the frame looks like. Pricing for the frame will be $139 and it will ship in September.

Digital photo frames may seem boring, but anyone who takes lots of digital pictures will find that the gadgets are a great way to do something with all those pictures other than letting them sit on your computer or memory card. The price of digital photo frames are coming down as well making them more affordable.

Samsung has announced a new digital frame that is under an inch thick and sports an 8-inch screen. The screen has a resolution of 800 x 480 and a contrast ratio of 500:1. Despite the small size of the frame, it packs 1GB of memory inside.

OhGizmo! is a frequently updated blog that focuses on covering items that will appeal to a very specific and often very passionate audience: the geek. Aside from the fare of innovative consumer electronic products, the reader can expect to find news about geek culture, absurd inventions, awe inspiring technology, and an ever growing assortment of articles that we like to think fit within our view of what we’re calling the Geek Lifestyle.